Hit No. 2,500 was vintage Todd Helton, but with an overflow of emotion for good measure.

The Rockies’ iconic, 40-year-old first baseman — in what is almost certainly his final season — laced a seventh-inning double down the third-base line off Reds reliever Curtis Partch on Sunday afternoon at Coors Field.

It was perfectly fitting that Helton would reach the milestone on a 3-2 pitch, and that it would be an opposite-field double down the left-field line. Since he made his rookie debut in 1997, opposite-field doubles have been a Helton trademark.

Helton, who became the 96th player in major-league history to reach 2,500 hits, stood on second base, let the cheers wash over him, and then took off his batting helmet and acknowledged the crowd.

Helton is the Rockies’ career leader in nearly every hitting category, including hits, home runs, doubles and RBIs.

“It’s really, really hard to be that good for that long,” right fielder Michael Cuddyer said before the game. “People for a far can appreciate it, but guys who play this game realize how hard it is to sustain that level of success for that long. I mean, only 96 people have ever done it.”

Helton was 0-for-2 on the day when he came to the plate in the seventh a moment after Cuddyer hit a solo homer to give the Rockies a 7-2 lead.

Helton was intentionally walked in the fifth, much to the consternation of a Coors Field crowd that booed lustily.

When asked on Saturday about Helton’s pending milestone, manager Walt Weiss said: “It basically comes down to this: You’ve got to be really good for a really long time. Todd, for his whole career, has put his head down and worked. That’s what I most respect about him.

“There’s not a lot of fanfare or hoopla. He just shows up and works. He’s been grinding for 17 years and he’s had a hell of a career. This guy has given this franchise credibility.”

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